Top 9 Books of 2009

I'm sorry if this post is a little bit late. I know there are some of you who are interested to know what books I've read last year. But work happened. So I wasn't able to make the list right away.

But, anyways, while I haven't read a much new books in 2009 (12 new books), here's my top 9 books.

1. Let The Great World Spin 9.8
Author: Colum McCann
The best book I've read this year. This novel is about different lives and culture colliding everyday, showing us that we're all connected by place or event, whether you're a judge, a housewife, a monk, a prostitute, an artist, a nurse or a high wire walker. Truly, this is beautiful book.


2. When Skateboards Will Be Free 9.5 [Review]
Author: Said Sayrafeizadeh
I was so curious about this book's title. So much that I bought it without reading its synopsis. At first, I thought it was about skater culture. But it is actually a memoir of a child growing up a socialist in a capitalist's world. It's the most heartwarming, as well as heartbreaking tale I've read so far.


3. Far North 9.4
Author: Marcel Theroux
Far North is about a world where global warming has reduced civilization through famine and floods and has turned the once frozen wasteland of Siberia -the setting in the story- a habitable settlement. It may not be as good as The Road. But it's still a good post-apocalyptic fiction.


4. Genesis 9.3 [Review]
Author: Bernard Beckett
Set in a technologically advance island nation, Genesis is a book for the young adult. Hence, the story has no complex plot or sub-plots. But the book is full of philosophical debates, such as modernism vs. traditionalism, that will satiate your intellect. Definitely the best sci-fi I've read this year.


5. Zeitoun 9.0 [Review]
Author: Dave Eggers
Zeitoun is a riveting story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian-born American and a well-known contractor in New Orleans, who was falsely accused as a terrorist and was imprisoned by the US Government after being stranded by Hurricane Katrina. The scary part: this book is a non-fiction.


6. The Year of the Flood 8.9
Author: Margaret Atwood
One of the eeriest books I've read. Atwood knows her speculative fiction well. Loosely tied to Oryx and Crake, the setting in this book is a dying world -corporate run and materialistic, where people kill people for sport, food and organs. While still far from our own reality, it's still too possible to happen.


7. The Next 100 Years 8.6 [Review]
Author: George Friedman
This is a non-fiction book the forecasts the future. But it didn't use any crystal ball as a guide. Instead, it's written with the best geopolitical insights. While it's too American-centric, I enjoyed reading it because I learned a lot about the upcoming technology, like hypersonic jets and wireless energy transfer.


8. The Book of Dead Philosophers 8.5 [Review]
Author: Simon Critchley
I bought this book only because I wanted to learn about various philosophers, and maybe even study their work. But this book turned out to be a miscellany of anecdotes and short writings of the deaths of some 190 philosophers. Still a lot of fun to read though, and you do learn a lot of philosophy from it.


9. Lowboy 8.4 [Review]
Author: John Wray
The story in this book is about a schizophrenic boy who's off his meds and wandering underground the New York subway system, with a mission to save the world from global warming. While I didn't like its story, it's still an interesting read because it lets the readers experience schizophrenia.


Well, that's that. Hopefully, I'd be able to read more new books this 2010 (I'm aiming for 20) so I could make a better list for next year.

My other Top 9 of 2009:
Top 9 Games of 2009
Top 9 Films of 2009
Top 9 Music of 2009

Similar Posts:
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006

Top 9 Music of 2009

2009 was a good year for music. I discovered a lot of cool new bands, and most of which are metal bands too. Then, of course, old grunge rockers like Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains got out from the woodwork and gave us some pretty decent albums. I also bought a 64 GB iPod touch, whom I named "thedoohickeythatplaysallmymusic". Like with gaming, I went fully digital this year and stopped buying CDs.

Anyways, here's my top albums for this year.

1. Wavering Radiant 10 [Review]
Artist: Isis
Wavering Radiant is Isis' magnum opus to date, and my favorite album of 2009. While it is not as heavy as Oceanic this album is dense with majestic sound textures that will give you multiple eargasms.

"Ghost Key" by Isis


2. Blue Album 9.5
Artist: Baroness
I only found out about this band a couple months ago. But their Blue Album impressed me right away with its Southern sludge and prog-metal sounds. Definitely one of the heaviest albums in 2009.

"A Horse Called Golgotha" by Baroness


3. Bitte Orca 9.3 [Review]
Artist: Dirty Projectors
I heard this band while listening to Dark Was The Night. I fell in love with them and bought Bitte Orca, which is a fun and creative album, filled with a variety of music and oddly structured songs.

"Stillness is the Move" by Dirty Projectors


4. Two Suns 9.0 [Review]
Artist: Bat For Lashes
I liked Khan's first album, Fur and Gold. Regrettably, it was forgettable. Two Suns, however, is not. It's a beautiful album filled with synths and 80's electropop beats. Khan's voice also shines in here.

"Daniel" by Bat For Lashes


5. Travels With Myself and Another 9.0 [Review]
Artist: Future of the Left
Travels... is the first album I've heard that is both hardcore and comical. The wisecracking lyrics, the often times angry, often times melodious vocals, and in-your-face guitar riffs is just awesome.

"The Hope That House Built" by Future of the Left


6. Meriweather Post Pavilion 8.9 [Review]
Artist: Animal Collective
A lof of critics have named Meriweather Post Pavilion as their album of the year, and I can definitely see why. Because this album's unique sound -a digitized tribal and folk music- is a joy to listen to.

"Brother Sport" by Animal Collective


7. No More Stories... 8.9 [Review]
Artist: Mew
Not a lot can get into prog rock. But Mew's No More Stories, with dance rock tunes and pop elements throw into the mix of prog rock eccentricities, might be able to charm non prog rockers.

"Introducing Palace Players" by Mew


8. Sainthood 8.8 [Review]
Artist: Tegan and Sara
It may not be as good as the twins previous work, The Con. But Sainthood's 80's influence, from the pop of Madonna to the new wave of The Cure, is bursting with energy.

"Alligator" by Tegan and Sara


9. Crack The Sky 8.7 [Review]
Artist: Mastodon
Crack The Skye is more streamlined and toned down than Mastodon's previous works. A lot of fans hated it. But, with the inclusion of stoner rock elements in this album, I loved it a lot.

"Oblivion" by Mastodon


Well that's my list. While I did miss a few notable music that were released last year-like Phoenix and Sunn O))), for example- I'm still pretty happy with all I've heard and listened to in 2009. I hope you guys had a good year filled with music too.

My other Top 9 of 2009:
Top 9 Games of 2009
Top 9 Films of 2009
Top 9 Books of 2009

Similar Posts:
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006

Top 9 Films of 2009

Believe it or not but I've only been inside the theaters for 6-7 times this year. I gave up going to movie houses and left Netflix in charge of my film watching activities. Saved me tons of money because I only have to pay $22 every month (average of 12 rents a month) instead of going out and spending $32 for 4 movies. Although I missed a lot of good flicks this year that aren't out on DVD/Blu-Ray yet. The Road being one of them.

But anyways, I scarped up enough movies to put into my top 9 films of this year. Here they are:

1. The Hurt Locker 9.3
The Hurt Locker is a film about a bomb technician that is serving in Iraq. It's definitely my favorite war film in a post-9/11 setting. Because unlike other war films, this one doesn't spew any anti-war sentiments at all. It's not pro-war either, or involves any politics. It is, however, a film about a soldier's skill and dedication, of doing what he loves even if it's dangerous.


2. Inglorious Basterds 9.0
Quentin Tarantino may have over indulged himself when he made this film, rewriting WWII the way he wants it. But, hey, WWII have been repeatedly butchered and raped by Hollywood anyways. At least, Inglorious Basterds managed to be funny. It's probably the funniest film with Nazis since To Be or Not To Be. There's a lot of great performances here as well.


3. 500 Days of Summer 8.8
I only watched this romantic comedy because of Zooey Deschanel. She's the kind of chick that will sweep you away from your gamer chair, and inspire you to do great things. She did just that in the film, and then some more. Because her character is kind of half-evil/half-good, torturer/lover, and she played it real well. The soundtrack rocks too (The Smiths and The Pixies).


4. Avatar 8.7 [Review]
Avatar is probably the prettiest film I've seen this year. The visuals in this movie is just mesmerizing. However, it wasn't the graphics that made me dig it. It was the anti-war, anti-racism and eco-friendly sentiments embedded underneath that made me like it. True, the story maybe as old as the founding of Jamestown. But, right now, it's the perfect story to tell.


5. District 9 8.7
Done in a mocumentary style, the film's story is about a man who's undergoing a metamorphosis, his body transforming into a shrimp-like alien. The film looks cheap, and feels cheap. But it's a simple sci-fi film with a lot of cheap tricks that'll entertain you. I also like the story, which focuses on issues such as race/social segregation and xenophobia.


6. Star Trek 8.6
I wanted to become a Trekkie for a long time -because what kind of geek doesn't watch Star Trek- but I just can't. My brain always short circuits every time I try to get into the series' extensive lore. Luckily, J.J. Abrams was nice enough to reboot the film, indulging Trekkie wannabees like me, giving us a new Star Trek alternate reality to start with.


7. Drag Me to Hell 8.5
I don't watch horror movies. The world is scary as it is. But since this film is from Sam Raimi, I thought I'd make an exception and rent it. True enough, it is more like Raimi's older work, Evil Dead, which oddly delivers scary, gory and funny moments. This movie will spook you one minute and then will make you laugh so hard as if it's apologizing for spooking you.


8. Up 8.4
Up is not really my favorite Pixar film, and it's probably their worst film in my opinion. I don't know if I was over examining things while watching it or comparing it to WALL-E. But, anyways, even though a little messed up, this film is fun, adventurous and colorful. The story is heart warming. The characters -especially the dogs- are very interesting, and also oddly paired.


9. The Hangover 8.0
The film is about four guys having a bachelor's party in Las Vegas. At first, the story felt like a regular night out went wrong. But after the cast woke up and found out (more like couldn't remember) what really went wrong the other night, how they really fucked up, the fun begins. I swear I couldn't stop laughing for about an hour watching this film.


So there's my top 9. It's not a great looking list, I must admit. Like I said, I missed a lot of good movies this year since I've forgone watching new movies in theaters.

My other Top 9 of 2009:
Top 9 Games of 2009
Top 9 Music of 2009
Top 9 Books of 2009

Similar Posts:
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006

Top 9 Games of 2009

Gaming in 2009 was great for me. There were a lot of "improvements" in my life as a gamer. First, I've forgone buying hard copies of games and finally went digital using Steam. It made buying games more convenient for me and also introduced me to indie gaming. Second, I finally found MMORPG love with Warhammer Online, which also introduced me to a bunch of exemplary folks at Gaiscioch (my guild). Lastly, Dragon Age: Origins was released and I had tons of PC games (I bought 25 games last year) to play with.

So, without further ado, my top 9 games of 2009:

1. Dragon Age: Origins 9.5
BioWare opened a decade with an epic RPG, Baldur's Gate II, back in 2000, and closed it with another, Dragon Age: Origins, in 2009. I've waited for this game for 5 years, impatiently. But after I played it, I understood why it took so long. Everything about this game is grand, from its G.R.R. Martin-inspired storyline to its enjoyable tactical combat.


2. Batman: Arkham Asylum 9.2 [Review]
This game took me in by surprise. Since it's a comic-to-game -and since games in this genre suck really hard- I never really thought much about Arkham Asylum. But I was in awe after I tried its demo. The art direction, the free-flowing combat, the story and the voice acting in this game is just top notch. It's definitely the best superhero game I've played.


3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II 9.0 [Review]
One thing I don't like about real-time strategy games is setting up bases. It just slows the game down, in my opinion. But Dawn of War II removed the base building feature and puts the player right into the action, making the game fast and fun. Playing the game's campaign, which is more like a tactical RPG rather than a RTS, is also a satisfying experience.


4. Empire: Total War 8.8
I was actually disappointed with Empire. I was looking forward to its new naval combat but I found it to be slow and boring. Yet it still ranks as my #4 game on my list. That's because every feature that made all of the Total War games enjoyable are still here. Except all those features are magnified in Empire, especially its huge map that now includes the Americas.


5. Borderlands 8.7
Borderlands is a splice between an action RPG and a shooter. All the critters in its map respawns and drops random loot like an action RPG. But, unlike action RPGs, it doesn't have a mindless combat because it's also a shooter, which requires twitch skills to fend off enemies. In addition, the cell-shaded graphics also looks neat. This hybrid of a game is just gold.


6. Torchlight 8.7
Torchlight is another surprise for me this year. Like Arkham Asylum, I also found this game while looking for a demo to play with. The next thing I know, I had a hard time putting it down. This game is pretty much like Diablo. Although it has a pretty nice, cartoony graphics and some new knick-knacks, like the achievements, that makes it a refreshing dungeon crawler.


7. Plants Vs. Zombies 8.6
I only play tower defense games at my office, in order to pass time, nothing more. But that was before I played Plants Vs. Zombies. Unlike other tower defense games Plants Vs. Zombies has an X factor that makes it very addicting. So, if you still can, do yourself a favor and don't play this game. Because you might lose some sleep, weight, or friends from playing it.


8. Risen 8.5
This game has a lot of flaws, there's not doubt about that. But the atmosphere in Risen is wondrously immersive. You can easily lose yourself in this game, exploring its huge map that is dense with vegetation and filled with lurking dangers, and talking to its inhabitants -pirates, fantatics, thieves and mages- which are well acted and full of character.


9. King's Bounty: Armored Princess 8.4
This game is the sequel of King's Bounty: The Legend (which also landed last place on my top games last year). Besides the addition of a pet dragon, not much have changed in this game since then. Which means it is still a turn-based strategy/RPG hybrid where you can raise an army, explore and plunder the world -and that is a very enjoyable thing to do.


So that's my top 9 games for this year. Compared to previous years, I didn't have any trouble filling my list this year. I didn't even have any Nintendo DS games listed down, which means PC gaming is was in full bloom in 2009. Yeah, we still have some multi-platformed games. But there were a lot of indie games and RTS that were only exclusive to us PC gamers. Hopefully, next year will be the same.

My other Top 9 of 2009:
Top 9 Films of 2009
Top 9 Music of 2009
Top 9 Books of 2009

Similar Posts:
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006